Acid-sludge burner



NOY. 4, 1930. F, 1 'MCDEVlTT 1,780,653`

- ACID SLUDGE BURNER Filed May 2,6. 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 .Patented Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK J. MCDEVITT, F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI AcID-sLUDGE BURNER Appncatii mea May 2e,

distilling the sludge, feeding the resultant coke or carbonaceous material to a carbon zone where `combustion of the carbon and coke takes place, and in providing another Zone or combustion chamber wherein final or complete combustion of the gases evolved from the combustion and distillation zones takes place. A

Another object of the invention comprehends the provision of means for thoroughly mixing, in the final. zone, rich gases obtained from the distillation zone -and thel relatively poor or lean gases evolvedfrom the aforesaid combustion Zone.

2- Another object of the invention is to provide means for affording protection from the 'heat to the lowermost chambers wherein distillation and combustion, respectively,

takes place.

More specifically, the. 'invention `comprehepds the idea lof arranging protecting tubes -whichare referably attached. to the headers of the boiler system, in such a manner that they are diagonally disposed' and interlaced, thereby to dene a lower combustion chamber, .a superposedI distillation chamber and an uppermost gas combustion chamber for the evolved gases.

Still another object of the invention is to provide agitators positioned within the distillation chamber and designed to be ro-- tated or oscillated to prevent caking of the sludge.

4Qlwill be apparent from the reading ofthe Numerous pther objects of the invention' 1927. seria; No. 194,499.

represent like'parts, 1 designates a furnace generally, having the conventional waterv tubes 2 and the customary lower combustion space 3. lVithin the interior of this furnace space I providea multiplicity of diagonally arranged water tubes 4 connected to the headers 5 and 6 respectively, and a Y second series of water tubes 7 crossing the .first series of such tubes as at 8, and interlaced therewith, which secondary series of tubes are .connected with the headers 9 and' 10 respectively. These two series of crossed .water tubes assist in defining a distillation Zone or chamber 11, a lower carbon combustion chamber 12 and a' gas combustion 65 chamber 13, which latterchamber receives the-rich and relatively lean `evolved gases from the distillation and combustion chambers. Acid sludge is introduced by the hop.- per designated by .the reference numeral 14, having a rotatingv feeder 15 for discharging" the acid sludge within the confines of the chamber 11. This `chamber is preferably provided with a series of agitators 16, 17 and18 respectively, preferably water cooled, "75 designed to constantly agitate the sludge duringthe distillation operation without permitting the coking thereof. To assist the distillation operation I preferably introduce heated airthrough a series vof ducts 19, which air will preferably have a static pressure of approximately 1 water gauge and will be preheated to a temperature of approximately 400 F.

The distillation within the chamber 11 will 85 drive oif the volatilematter which arises ,throughV spaces provided between the tile slabs 20 supported by the tubes 8. This evolved. gas is very rich, consisting mostly of hydrocarbons. -After the volatile matter Ihas been driven off in the distillation chamber the coke which is left drops through the lower protecting tubes 21 onto the chain grate stolrer 22 traveling Ain the direction shown by the arrow where further. combustion ytakes place within the said carbon combustion chamber 12. It is very essential that they protecting tubes be so arranged as toprotect the stoker from the intense heat within the combustion cham- 'excess air for the combustion thereof. This air, preferably in a heated condition, and from the supply fed through the duct 19, aforesaid, is admitted through duc-ts 23. rlhis air, as above stated, isl under pressure and temperature.

The conveyor 22 delivers the ashes to the pit 24 positioned below the same.

It is highly important that the heat derived from the combustion of the gases within the chamber 13 be prevented from substantially affecting the lower chambers comprising the distillation Zone for the sludge and the carbon combustion zone. To this end the diagonally arranged tubes are closely positioned and moreover transverse tile slabs are provided as at 20 td afford an adequate protection against heat for the distillation chamber whi-le at the Sametime such slabs are spaced sufficiently to permit the evolved gases to escape from within the distillation chamber into the gas combustion chamber It will be apparent that the gases evolved from the distillation chamber will be quite rich consisting essentially in hydrocarbons and these gases will pass' to the forward part or front of the furnace. On the other hand the gases obtained from the distillation of the carbonaceous substance is of relatively lean character and will tend to accumulate within the rear portion of the furnace. It

. is quite essential that these gases be mixed and a proper amount of air supplied for complete combustion and to this end 1 provide a conduit 25 having inlet ducts 26 communicating therewith and discharging intothe front of the furnace whereby both the lean and rich gases are blown to the rear of the furnace where they are thoroughly mixed and complete combustion takes place. Y The products of this combustion then, of course, rise Athrough the heating surface of the boilerattached to the top of the furnace and desig- Rated by reference numeral 2.

By 'reference to Figure 2, it will be noted that the conduits for supplying the air-comprise a transverse tubular element 27 havin a connection 28 for discharging the heate air within vthe carbonaceous combustion chamber at the point indicated by reference numeral 23. To this same source ofair supply the vertically extending connections 29 are attached which terminate in the front wall of the furnace as shown by reference numeral 19.

Briefly the operation of the` acid sludge furnace is as follows:

The acid sludge is introduced by hopper 14 into the distillation chamber 11 wherein it is thoroughly agitated to prevent calring thereof. The agitator 16 is of tubular formavtion and connected with the boiler system.

- the boiler system. To protect the lowery chambers from the intense heat of the gas combustion chamber 13 I provide tiles. As hereinbefore stated, the feature ofthoroughly miX- ing the relative poor and rich gases evolved from the distillation and carbon combustion chambers respectively is quite important.

1t will be apparent to those skilled in thel art that many changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

I `claim:

1. A furnace for burning acid sludge comprising an enclosure having walls, aseries of tubes arranged diagonally with respect to' walls of said enclosure and connected with the boiler systemof the furnace, and a secondary.

series of tubes diagonally arranged with respect to the walls of said enclosure but oppositely positioned with respect to the first-mentioned tubes, the first mentioned and second mentioned .tubes crossing each other intermediate their ends to define a plurality of walls of a distillation chamber, a carbon combustion chamber and a gas combustion chamber, and means for feeding acid sludge to the distillation chamber.

2.,v A furnace for burning acid sludge comprising an enclosure having walls, a series of .tubes arranged diagonally with respectto' walls of said enclosure and connected 'with the boiler system of the furnace, and a secondary series lof tubes diagonally arranged with respect to the walls of said enclosure but oppositely positioned with respect to the iirstmentioned tubes,- said tubes crossing each other intermediate their ends to define a plurality of walls of a disillation chamber, a carbon combustion chamber and a gas combustion chamber, and means for feeding acid sludge to thedistillation chamber, and rotating water tubes connected with the water system for agitating. the sludge undergoing distillation within said distillation chamber.

3. A furnace for burning acid sludge comprising an enclosure having walls, two series of-oppositely extending water tubes connected with the boiling system of the furnace and interlaced with each other and associated with walls of said enclosure to provide a plurality of side walls of a distillation chamber, a carbon combustion chamber, and a gas combustion chamber, means for feeding acid sludge to the distillation chamber, means for feeding heated air to said distillation chamber, said vcarbon combustion chamber being adapted to receive carbonaceous'material from said distillation chamber, said gas combustion chamber being adapted to yreceive the relatively rich and lean gases evolved from the distilla.- tion and carbon combustion chambers respectively. I

4. A furnacefor burning acid sludge comprising an`enclosure having walls, two series of oppositel extending watertubes connected with the oiling system of the furnace and interlaced with eachother and associated with walls of said enclosure to provide a plurality of `side walls of a distillation chamber, a carbon combustion chamber, and a gas combustion chamber,`m eans for feeding acid sludge to the distillation chamber, means for feeding heated air tosaid distillation chamber, "said carbon combustion chamber being adapted to receive carbonaceous material from said distillation chamber, said gas combustion chamber being adapted to receive the relatively rich and lean gases evolved from the distillation and carbon combustion chambers respectively, and means for supplying heated air tosaid gas combustion chamber.

5. A furnace for burning acid sludge comprising an enclosure having Walls, two series of oppositel extending Water tubes connected with the oiling system of t-he furnace and interlaced with each other and associated with walls of said enclosure tovprovide a plurality of side walls of a distillation chamber, a carbon combustion chamber, and a gas combustion chamber, means 'for feeding acid sludge to the distillationchamber, means for feeding heated air tosaid distillation chamber, said carbon combustion chamber being adapted to receive carbonaceous material from said distillation chamber, said gas combustion chamber being adapted to receive the relatively rich and lean gases evolved from the distillation and carbon combustion chambers respec- -tively, and means for protecting the distillation chamber from the heat of the gas combustion chamber.

6. -A- furnace for burning acid sludge comprising an enclosure having walls, two series of oppositely extending Vwater tubes connected with the boiling system of the furnace and interlaced with each other and associated with said enclosure to provide a pluralit of side walls of a distillation chamber, a car on combustion chamber, and a gas combustion chamber, means for feeding acid sludge lto the distillation chamber, means for feeding heated air to sai-d distillation chamber, said carbon combustion chamber being adapted to receive carbonaceous material from said distillation said means comprising a series of spaced tiles mounted on a portion of said water tubes.

7 An acidsludge burning furnace comprising an enclosure having wa11s, a distillation chamber ,having its upper and lower walls formed by two series of closely arranged water tubes connectedA with the boiler system of said furnace and associated with a wall of the enclosure to produce said distillation chamber, a gas combustion chamber located thereabove, means for feeding acid sludge to the distillation chamber wherein gases are evolved and ascend into the combustion chamber, -a series of tile slabs associated with said water tubes to prevent a substantial amount' of the heat from the gas combustion chamber from entering the distillation chamber.

In testimony that lclaim the foregoing I hereunto afi-ix my signature.

' FRANK J. MCDEVITT.

chamber, said gas combustion chamber being adapted to receive the relatively rich and lean gases evolved from the distillation and carbon combustion chambers respectively and means for protecting the distillation chamber from the heat of the gas combustion chamber, 

